Nyr Astir
by TheCrimsonLlama
Summary: Loki's fall off the Bifrost timed perfectly with the overriding of the Arc Reactor. Now, he's landed on a strange new realm and is being kept safe by a strange man named Tony Stark. This is the story of two men from two different realms and their imminent attraction. Frostiron, AU, and eventual angst.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

How did it come to this? Well, I suppose that's a foolish question seeing as I know very well how this all came about. Especially noting that I was the cause of all of it. Everything that had happened replayed itself over and over in my head, the memories hurting more and more with each time it repeated. I pleaded with my father- no, that wasn't right- the Allfather to hear me out, crying that I had done everything for him for the entire realm. He didn't hear it, though. I suppose that's what finally sent me to the decision I made. I took one last look at the people I thought were my family before letting go of Odin's staff and sending myself hurling and falling through the seemingly endless sea of space that surrounded the world I knew.

I felt a slight tug as I was pulled through a wormhole. That was when I truly began to feel frightened for what would happen to myself. I closed my eyes and finally let myself let out the scream that I'd been holding in for a while now, tears slipping down my face. I clenched my eyes shut so I wouldn't see myself falling, therefore I didn't see myself fall through the odd portal that had opened in the space beneath me. All I knew was that I suddenly started falling much faster for a second or two before landing on something very hard square on my back. Pain swept through my entire body and that's how I knew I hadn't died. There was a liquid dripping down my brow and I immediately knew it was blood. Even worse yet, I began to hallucinate, hearing voices echoing in my ears.

"Tony, what just happened, who's that?"

"Do you really think I would know, Pepper? He fell from the goddamn sky!"

"Well, is he alive?"

"How should I know? He's covered completely in some weird armor!"

I felt something shake me a bit, and the presence of two people very near to my person. I groaned in pain, not wanting to open my eyes and see where I had landed.

"Oh, thank god, he's alive."

"Where did he come from?"

"Do you really think I would know that? Just look at him. He's definitely not from here."

"I'll call an ambulance."

"That might be a good idea, I'll see if he'll open his eyes."

With that I heard a pair of footsteps walk away from him and begin speaking quietly into something while the other stayed close to me, gently shaking me and dabbing off the blood from my forehead.

"Hey, buddy. I don't know if you can even hear me, but could you please open your eyes?"

I slowly willed my eyes to open and look around at the current world that surrounded me. It was dark, nighttime here. Yet, even if it was night, the people didn't seem to know that. I heard voices talking, the sound of things zooming about below. There were buildings that seemed to touch the sky surrounding me from every angle.

I heard myself let out a gasp before looking over at the man who had spoken to me, shaking me awake. His appearance only confused me further. He seemed to have the head and face of a normal man, though his body was made of a sort of red and gold metal armor with a glowing circle in the middle.

"Oh thank god you're alive… Who are you?" He asked quietly as the female spoke on her device. I heard something that sounded like an alarm coming closer with flashing lights and tried to sit up to get a better look. The man held me down though.

"Don't worry about that, it's just the ambulance coming to help you out. Just stay down and don't move too much. What's your name?"

"It's Loki." I replied quietly, letting him gently push me back with his metal hands as a large group of men came up and gathered me up onto their odd cot on wheels, wheeling me away. I looked back at the woman and man and wondered if I would ever see them again. Soon enough, I was wheeled through a large building and into a small moving chamber with lit up circles and small bells that went off periodically. Soon they loaded me into the back of a large white metal box on wheels, fastening me in. They put something over my face and soon enough the world went black.

I woke up to a bright white room in clothes that were definitely not my own with a thin tube sticking into my arm. I was in a rather comfortable bed and looked around the drab, plain room. A man beside me was talking silently with some others, saying something about how I'd woken up and seemed to be doing well. They nodded to each other, saying something about letting the visitors in. I looked around confused when the man and woman from before walked in, smiling kindly. I was surprised to find that the man wasn't made of metal.

"Hey, look who's alive and well," The man said with a smile, sitting down in the chair next to me. "You said your name was Loki, right?"

"Yes." I replied, nodding my head and looking at the other man.

"Cool. I'm Tony Stark and that's my assistant, Pepper Potts." He said, holding out his hand. I took it and shook it gently, looking over at the woman and smiling gently at her, nodding.

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Stark, Ms. Potts. Thank you both for helping me." I said with a smile to both of them before examining the room I sat in with wonder. My eyes had now adjusted to the room, looking over at the door when a nurse came in and checked the odd screens with lines that went up then down then up again. She nodded to herself and took the needle out of my elbow, placing what seemed like an adhesive bandage to the miniscule wound. She helped me out of the bed, the tunic they'd given me falling to my knees. Pepper handed me a stack of clothes like I'd never seen before. Still, I moved over to the bathroom and changed into the clothes. The pants weren't the soft cotton I was used to and was instead some blue fabric. Either way, they were comfortable. The shirt was cotton though, but the sleeves were cut short just over the elbows. I came back out and Tony handed me a pair of shoes and socks I silently pulled them on. The socks were cotton and familiar, but the shoes were canvas and were held on my feet by white laces. They seemed like they'd be uncomfortable, but in truth, I rather liked them.

Tony gently took my elbow and lead me out of the room and into a much larger building, navigating expertly through the large building and out to a darker building where many of the metal boxes with wheels were lined up. Pepper left us there, going off on her own way. Tony lead me over to a specific one of the metal boxes, leaving me on one side as he walked over to the other. I just stared at him, then down to the thing, not at all knowing what to do. Tony sighed and came back around to my side, lifting a lever and opening what was apparently a door. He guided me in and fastened me into the leather seat with a strap before closing the door and doing the same on his side.

I watched with curiosity as he stuck a key into a small slot behind a wheel. Suddenly, the entire thing erupted into noise. I jumped and started to panic, believing I was in some kind of death trap. The door had locked us both inside the thing. Tony reached over and pushed me back in the chair, slowly calming me down.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. It's not a death trap, okay? Just chill out and sit back. I promise you won't be hurt by this." Tony said, the words relaxing me into silence. I felt the thing lurch backwards then turn and advance forward. It was in that moment that I realized the thing was a vehicle of sorts.

"Excuse me, but where are we going?" I asked, turning to Tony as we got out on what seemed like a road.

"Back to my place. I don't know who you are, or where you came from, but I intend to find out. I've got some questions for you and I refuse to rest until they're answered."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Well, I'm back for the second chapter. Thank you for all the support I've gotten so quickly, I really wasn't expecting that! Seriously, thank you so much, it really means a lot to me.**

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Chapter Two

The rest of the ride went without conversation, though I figured that was only because Tony had made his point extremely clear to me. Plus, I didn't see any need for words at the moment, nor would I know what to say. Instead, I was content to watch the odd city pass by through my window. We continued to drive a while before pulling into a smaller road that leads to a large room underground. Inside the room, there were many more vehicles that looked similar to this one, but wasn't at all the same. I looked over at Tony and watched as he unfastened himself from the seat with the red button and opened the door of the vehicle with a lever. I quickly mimicked the actions to keep myself from looking the fool.

He was waiting for me on my side and before I could say or ask anything, he took me by the crook of my elbow and lead me inside the connected building and into a small room that could probably only fit five people at most. Two metal doors shut automatically and I watched as Tony pressed a button.

"Shouldn't you be standing out there?" I asked, confused.

"What do you mean?" Tony replied, looking at me as if I were mad.

"Well, this is some sort of torture chamber or death trap, is it not? Why would you subject yourself to whatever lays behind that button along with me?"

Tony gave me an odd look for a bit and broke down into laughter. I wondered if that was the torture: laughing one's self to suffocation. When it didn't happen to me, I grew even more confused and looked about the ceiling of the small room. I jumped about a foot in the air when I heard a small 'ding' and Tony took me by the arm once again, leading me out into a larger area that looked like someone's home. At least, it had all the furnishings for one.

"That was an elevator, Loks. It does the same thing as stairs, but you don't die inside when you're going up more than one level." He explained to me, gently leading me over to a couch and guiding me down onto the soft cushions.

"You said you had questions for me?" I asked, settling into the couch comfortably but making sure to keep my back straight. Tony cocked an eyebrow at this but seemed to shrug it off.

"Yeah, I did," He nodded, seating himself beside me and relaxing back into the couch. "Where the hell did you come from? All I saw was some outer space then you fell from the sky."

"I hail from the realm of Asgard." I replied easily, watching the man as he gave me a weird look.

"'Realm?' I hope to God you're not crazy. JARVIS, what's 'Asgard'?" He asked seemingly someone else, which confused me even further since we were the only two people in the room.

"Asgard is a land from Norse mythology, sir. It was at one time believed by the Vikings and Norse people from around the years 800 to 1100 AD to be the home of the gods." A voice said from the ceiling, causing me to jump again.

"Alright, was there any a 'Loki' in there?" Tony asked again to no one, pressing a finger absently to the stitched up cut on my forehead.

"Yes, sir. Loki is the Norse god of mischief and deception. He is a rare case as he is both a God and a Jotun. He is the bastard son of the Jotun king Laufey and the Frost Giantess Fàrbauti. As an infant, he was taken in and raised by Odin and his wife, Frigga." The voice replied. I could only wonder how it knew that much, as even I hadn't known the name of my true mother. I felt Tony's gaze upon me and I looked down at my feet, fiddling with the new shirt's hem.

"Thanks, JARVIS, " Tony said before redirecting his attention to me. "So, either you're really the God of Mischief or you're crazy. Come with me, I've got some things I want to hook up to your head."

With that, he led me into the 'elevator' again and we traveled down a few levels, leaving us in a room that looked like a laboratory. He gestured for me to sit on a metal table, so I did, watching as he got out some odd looking things and taped a few wires to my head, typing some things into a screen where a picture of what I could only guess was the inside of my head showed up.

"Well, judging on this here, it tells me you're about 25 years old, but what's weird is that you seem to be stuck like that. How long have you been this age?" He asked, pointing to an area on the picture.

"I'd say for about thousand years, give or take a few." I answered with a small shrug.

Tony's eyes widened and turned back to the picture, examining it again as he seemed to grow more and more confused by it. After a while of him asking me countless questions and my answering them honestly, he seemed to come to a mental verdict. He sat back on a bench and sighed, rubbing his temples.

"Well, I guess you really are a god. At least, you're not human." He sighed, looking over at me. I didn't really know what to say, so I simply smiled a bit at him, remaining quiet otherwise.

"You don't have a place to stay, do you?" he asked quietly after a bit, frowning as he looked at me. I met his gaze and shook my head.

"No, I do not." I replied quietly.

"I guess you can stay here, then." He said, sighing a bit. He stood up and guided me off the metal table, taking my elbow again and leading me up the stairs again and into the main area of the home. He led me down a small corridor and opened a door, ushering me inside the room. It was a bedchamber of sorts and seemed rather cozy. I looked around, deciding I liked it and smiled slightly.

"You can stay in here. Tomorrow I'm going to take you out to get you some more normal clothes." Tony said, his eyes trailing up and down my body as he was obviously remembering the armor that I was once wearing. I looked down at myself self-consciously and wondered if there was anything wrong with my previous attire. After all, they had seemed perfectly normal to me.

"Tell me, what is considered to be 'normal' in this realm?" I asked curiously.

"Definitely not what you were wearing. I don't even think that would fit in at the Renaissance Festival." Tony replied, the last words only confusing me further. One of the few things I hadn't read was the history of Midgard, so I had absolutely now idea what he was talking about.

He seemed to catch the confused look I gave him and sighed, shaking his head. "I doubt you'd know what that is. I have much to teach you, Young Padawan." He said with a chuckle.

"I don't understand…." I said quietly, my brows knitting together from the last statement, or rather the name that he'd called me.

"Don't worry. It's just something from a movie, Loks." Tony sighed and chuckled a bit at my confused expression.

"Am I supposed to know what a 'movie' is?" I asked awkwardly.

"No, I'll have to teach you, though. Don't worry about it for now. Just forget I said anything, okay?"

I nodded, figuring that was the correct response. He chuckled a bit and sighed.

"The bathroom is just across the hall. Can I trust you enough to let you shower or bathe or whatever it is you do to clean yourself alone?" He asked with a slight smirk.

"Yes, of course." I replied with a nod before moving to remove the shirt.

"What are you doing? Don't strip down right here!, do it in the bathroom, where I can't see you strip naked." He said with shock, though I detected some hesitation in the last statement, as if he hadn't meant it.

I let go of the shirt and nodded, embarrassed that I'd made such a fool of myself so very quickly. He let me out of the room and I walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind me before stripping down and looking at the bathtub.

"Tony, how does one get water in the basin of this tub?" I called out, hoping he could hear me through the door.

"You see that knob over the thing that sticks out from the wall? Turn it to the right and adjust whatever temp you want the water to be." I heard him call back.

I followed the directions and it was only moments before I stepped into the tub of warm water. It wasn't too hot, since I'd always been rather sensitive to heat, but it was just right. I let myself relax and began to wash my body and hair before stepping out and putting the clothes back on, my hair falling to the curls it naturally formed whenever it got wet.

Tony looked up from whatever he was doing, chuckling a bit when he saw me.

"Is something the matter?" I asked, not knowing to be offended, flattered, or to leave it be.

"No, not at all. I just hadn't expected your hair to get curly. I mean it's not too much, but it's kind of cool." Tony said with a smile, chuckling still. I nodded and walked over to see that he'd been reading something on a screen that lit up he face of a rectangle thing.

"What is that thing?" I asked, pointing to it.

"This? It's a tablet, Loks. It helps me get information. It's kind of hard to explain when I'm practically speaking a second language." Tony said with a sigh, showing me the tablet.

I nodded, still somewhat confused by it.

"On a different note entirely, are you hungry?"

I nodded, as it had been a long while since I'd had a full and proper meal to eat and fill myself with.

"Awesome. I'm going to show you what pizza is." He decided with a smile, picking up a smaller device and pressing a few buttons before holding it to his ear as he absently played with the small curls of my hair.

I was rather shocked to find that I didn't mind it at all.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Apparently, the smaller device that Tony held to his ear was some kind of communication device. As he spoke into the thing, it sounded like he was having a conversation, though I could only hear one side of it. I wondered if there was another person out there that held the other side of the conversation with their own device held to their ear. Or, perhaps he was merely having a conversation with the device itself. He nodded a bit as he spoke and finally bade farewell to whatever or whomever he was speaking to, pressing a small button on the thing.

I took it from his hands and began to examine it curiously, pressing a small round button at the bottom and watching how the screen lit up with little boxes with various designs on them and words underneath.

"Um, yeah, that's my phone. Do you mind giving it back?" Tony asked, a bit of surprise leaking into his voice. I decided to ignore him, though, and continued to examine the thing curiously. I pressed one button and some kind of music began to blare out the bottom, making me jump. Tony took that chance to take the phone back, pressing a few buttons to turn the music off.

"On a completely different note, the pizza should be here in under thirty minutes, or it's free." He said, pocketing the thing. I sighed and leaned back in the couch, letting Tony absently play with my hair again.

"So, why don't you tell me a bit more about yourself? I'd like to get to know the man who, I guess, will be living with me from here on out." He asked after a bit of silence.

"What about me has piqued your curiosity?" I asked, looking over at him.

"Pretty much everything. So, you're considered a god, right?"

"Yes, to you Midgardians I am."

"What's a 'Midgardian'? Am I supposed to be insulted by that?"

I sighed and looked around the room, grabbing a sheet of paper and a pen, drawing a quick sketch of the Nine Realms in the World Tree.

"As you can see, there are nine different worlds, or realms, that form the World Tree, Yggdrasil. Up here is Asgard. That's where I came from, though not naturally. The realm below it is Midgard, or Earth and they are connected by the Bifrost. Between them sits Alvheim to the left and Vanaheim to the right. Midgard is in the middle of the tree and to its left lies Svartalvheim and Muspelheim to the right. On the bottom left is Nilheim, and the bottom right is Jotunheim, which is where I am naturally from. Finally, at the bottom, is Helheim." I explained at length, reciting how I had been taught the order of the Nine Realms, just like every other child in Asgard.

Tony seemed dumbfounded by all this new knowledge, trying to take it all in. "So, what you're saying is, all the Norse Mythology my mom read to me as a kid, that's all true?"

"Yes, they are."

"Ok. So, you once went to Jotunheim with you're brother, both of you in drag, to get his hammer back?" He challenged, smiling a bit as he was obviously picturing me in a dress.

"Yes, we did. It was amusing." I nodded, smiling at the memory of that particular adventure and how I'd been able to shove Thor in a wedding down and effeminize him.

"It sounds like it would be. You had a run in with some dwarves and they sewed your mouth shut?"

I winced at the memory. "Yes. Please don't make me dwell on that one."

"Sorry. You had sex with a horse and popped out some sort of spider foal?" I blushed a bit at the words, but nodded nonetheless.

"Yes, but the sex wasn't consensual on my side of it. Svadilfari is animalistic when it comes to that kind of thing, and that's all I wish to say about my relations with him. The child's name is Sleipnir and I wish for you to refer to him as such." I replied shortly, the memories of how they locked my children up, forbidding me to ever see them were still quite painful.

Tony seemed to get the hint to stop talking about my lost children and nodded, a look crossing his features that could only be sympathy. He looked up at me and it was quite obvious how sorry he felt for me on that subject. Suddenly, he pulled me into a tight hug, his hand at the back of my head, gently stroking my hair. I would have been shocked if it hadn't soothed me so completely, making me return the hug, resting my head on his shoulder.

We stayed like that for a good while before we were interrupted by the voice from the ceiling speaking to us.

"Sir, the pizza delivery man has arrived." The voice announced to Tony, who nodded, pulling away almost reluctantly.

"Just wait here, Loks. I shouldn't be too long." He said softly, giving me one last squeeze before getting up and moving over to the elevator, disappearing from sight.

As he was gone, I started to think to myself, fiddling with my hands a little as I sighed, surprised how I'd found that I rather missed his presence next to me. I had never been in love before, so I didn't know what it was supposed to feel like. I figured the prospect of such a thing as romance was a bit rash to say that's what I had with Tony at the moment and decided to call it close friendship.

He came back up with the box, smiling at me.

"Well, we've got the pizza. I'd say we're ready to party." He announced happily, seating himself next to me again and opening the box to reveal what looked like circular flatbread with melted cheese and some kind of meat on it, along with a red sauce. He took out a piece and handed it to me, watching with evident eagerness as I bit into it, my eyes widening at the flavor. The meat was a bit spicy, but not by too much. It was hot, and I soon found that the sauce had been made from tomatoes.

"This is amazing." I said, after swallowing, loving the taste of the pizza, amazed by it. I found it wonderful and thought that, if I ever returned to Asgard, I'd have to teach the cooks how to make it.

Tony smiled and laughed a bit, gently ruffling my hair as he bit into his own slice. Together, we ended up eating the entire thing, filling ourselves with about four slices each. "So, I take it you liked it?" Tony asked, chuckling a bit.

"Yes, I loved it, it tasted absolutely amazing. Thank you for sharing that with me, Tony." I replied with a wide smile.

Tony did something then that rather shocked me. He reached out with one hand and gently wiped his thumb along my bottom lip.

"You had some sauce left over there." He said softly, wiping his finger off on a napkin, though I caught him keeping his gaze on my lips.

I smiled softly and scooted in a bit, not quite sure what was going on, though I think I liked it either way. I watched with a bit of confusion as he leaned forward, my eyes fluttering shut when his face got within an inch of mine.

Suddenly, I felt his soft lips press against my own in a small, chaste, yet meaningful kiss.

He pulled away after a moment, remaining close to me as we gazed into each other's eyes.

"Sorry about that. I wasn't thinking." He said softly, looking down.

I smiled and gently stroked his cheek with my thumb. "Don't be sorry, Tony. That was my first kiss, but I'm glad that, of all people, you were the one to give it to me." I said softly, still smiling at him.

He grinned and pressed our lips together again, holding me close and keeping his lips on mine for longer this time, though still keeping it chaste.

I grinned when he pulled away, remaining in his arms and leaning into him happily as he held me lovingly, turning on the TV.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Oh my god, I'm sorry it's been so long. I've been fighting a bad case of the what-the-hell-should-I-have-happen-nexts. So, sorry if this chapter's just filler and a bit too short. I promise the next one will be eventful. I'm getting my wisdom teeth taken out on Thursday, so I'll be home for Thursday and Friday. I should have plenty of time to get on that. The problem is, I know what I want to happen, I just don't know how to get there at the moment. Things should fall in place soon, though. Thanks for all your support!**

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Chapter Four

We spent the next few hours asking random questions in the attempt to get to know each other. I ended up having to tell Tony the entire story about how Sleipnir came to be. He'd laughed at the idea of being raped by a horse, but he'd fallen silent when I hit his shoulder. When I asked him about the odd glowing circle in his chest, he just sighed and looked down.

"I made it. Years ago this company of mine was completely different. We used to make weapons for the military, now it's more of an energy thing. I was in Afghanistan, showing the military the weapon I was selling them. On the way back I was riding in a Jeep with some of the guys and one girl from the army since they were escorting me back. My own bombs attacked us. I was wounded and kidnapped by a group of terrorists called the Ten Rings.

"They put me in a cave along with another man named Yinsen. He and I grew to become good friends while I was there. He helped me get some of the shrapnel out of my chest, but not all of it. He'd stuck an electromagnet hooked up to a car battery into my chest. The terrorists who'd kidnapped me wanted me to make them one of my missiles. Of course, I didn't so that. Instead I used the stuff they gave me to make the first prototype of the Arc Reactor and the Iron Man suit.

"Since then, they've gotten better and improved and all that. It's still not the best it could be, but it works for now." He explained, as I listened intently to his story. For one of the few times in my rather long life, my silver tongue had turn to lead. I was speechless and had nothing really to say in response to the story, or nothing that sounded intelligent at all.

We spent another few minutes in an awkward silence before the awkwardness in the air between us merely made us laugh. We smiled at each other and laughed a bit more before happily resting against each other. It was rather like a cuddle, though not quite so close. Our heads leant together as we sat there on the couch.

After a bit, I heard Tony sigh a bit before feeling his soft lips press up against my left temple. We finished off the pizza in no time, getting full from the odd food. "So, what do we do now?" I asked softly, looking over at the slightly shorter man next to me.

Tony chuckled a bit and rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, I don't know. I haven't really ben in a lot of relationships like this before. You're the first one I've ever kissed and then felt something for. I guess, um, do you want to go out on a date tonight or something?"

I merely cocked my head to one side, trying to make sense of what the other was saying. "I don't know what a date is..." I replied slowly, not really knowing what to think or what to do.

"Oh, right. A date is something that two people go on to get to know each other. I can be dinner or a movie or pretty much anything where it's just the two of you. Usually when people go on a first date together, they usually think of each other as potential boyfriends or girlfriends." He explained to me with a soft smile playing at his lips.

"So, you're asking to court me?"

He gave me a confused look for a second before realization lit up his face. "Yeah, I guess so, yeah." He replied with a soft chuckle, his lips spreading into a nice smile.

"Then, I accept." I replied with a smile to match his, gently placing my hand over his own. He gently intertwined our fingers together and leaned in to press soft kisses to my cheeks and nose.

I felt a sort of warmth spread throughout my chest at the feeling of the sweet kisses. It felt rather nice to have someone to hold my hand and kiss my face lovingly. I'd never been in a relationship with anybody before, so I was afraid I wouldn't know what to do when we did go on that date that Tony had spoken about. I didn't want to make Tony think I was entirely incompetent when it came to interacting with other people and romance. The only problem was that that was exactly how I was when it came to things like this.

I'd fancied plenty of people throughout my long life, all of them male. I never knew exactly what to do or say around them and was always ashamed of the way I'd seemed to find other males more alluring than females. The only one I'd ever told about this was my mother, though she said not to worry about it. It helped a bit, though I still felt like an outcast in my family.

I felt Tony kiss my cheeks again; chasing away the thoughts and bringing me back to reality. I smiled and leaned into him happily, kissing his cheek in return.

"So, a date tonight. How about dinner and a movie?" Tony asked with a small smile, giving my hand a gentle squeeze.

"That sounds lovely, Tony." I said honestly as I leaned into him happily, kissing his cheek softly. We sat like that for a while more, flirting and kissing each other chastely like a couple of teenagers. I was more than excited for our 'date', though I had absolutely no idea what a 'movie' was.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

While we were getting ready for the date, it came to Tony's attention that my clothes weren't exactly what were considered normal on Midgard. So, he walked with me back to his bedchambers and showed me what most people would be wearing. So, he pulled out a pair of denim pants and an emerald green button down shirt.

"Personally, I think green looks pretty awesome on you. Go get changed, Loks, I'll wait here." Tony said to me with a smile as he led me to the bathroom where I could get changed.

I obediently stripped off the armor I'd come to this realm in and folded them neatly before setting them aside. Then, something occurred to me.

"Tony?" I called out to the hallway after cracking the door open a bit, watching as the other walked out to the hallway to speak with me a bit easier.

"Yeah, Loks?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow at me.

"Do you have any…. undergarments I could use?" I asked with a soft blush rising to my cheeks that I was glad the mortal man couldn't see.

He merely chuckled and nodded before turning around and returning to his bedchambers. He returned no more than a minute later with a pair of undergarments, handing them to me through the small crack in the door.

"Thank you, Tony." I said before taking them and shutting the door. With that, I pulled the underwear on, then the pants and the shirt. I fastened the pants at my waist and buttoned down the shirt before looking at my reflection in the mirror. The shirt flattered my slim body, and the pants didn't feel as odd as I thought they would have. I smiled a bit, combing back my hair when I noticed its natural waves and curls were coming out.

It soon occurred to me that I was rather nervous about my first date with Tony as I checked my teeth for any imperfections. Sure enough, they were as perfect and pearly white as always. I smiled, finally approving of my own appearance. I just hoped Tony would, as well. I stepped out into the hall, meeting Tony there. The man smiled gently at me, looking me up and down.

"Damn, Loks, you're hot." He said with a chuckle as he gently took my hand and led me out of the hallway and eventually into the elevator.

"Actually, I think I'm a reasonable temperature. Thanks for your concern, though." I replied, somewhat confused as to why he'd tell me I was hot. Everyone else had always said my skin was actually rather cool to the touch.

He smiled and laughed heartily at that and gently kissed my cheek. "Loks, here in Midgard, when someone tells you that you're hot it means you're extremely attractive."

I smiled back at him at that and gently kissed his cheek in return, taking hold of his hand. "Well, thank you. You're rather attractive as well." I replied as we stepped out of the elevator and into a room filled with the odd vehicles. When he chose one, I slipped into the seat on the right side and he took the one on the left behind the wheel. He helped me to buckle myself in before he did so himself and started the engine of the thing and drove out of the room and building, out onto the streets.

It was night, but the lights were bright and made it seem as if it was day. I smiled at the sight outside my window, amazed at how many people were out walking around as if it were noon rather than the evening. Soon enough, we pulled up to the building that read 'Cinema' across the front.

Tony slid out of the front seat and helped me out of the car, gently taking my hand and leading me into the building. He stopped outside the front doors, in front of a set of windows that led to a small window. He got two tickets for a showing soon and led me inside the building.

The inside was colorful, with large pictures hanging on the walls. He led me over to another counter and bought a large 'popcorn' with a 'Coke' and bottle of water. The man behind the counter in the vest moved to get the things for us. When finished, Tony paid him with some sort of greenish paper currency and handed me the bottle of water and popcorn.

With that, he led me into a large room that had a wide screen and about hundred cushioned seats facing it. He soon found two seats he wanted to sit in and led me into them. I sat down, getting myself comfortable in it.

"Here we are, Loks. How do you like it?" He asked with a smile.

"It's nice. What's going to happen?" I reply with a small smile in return as I look back over to the other man.

"Well, see, in a few minutes, the screen's going to light up with a bunch of moving pictures. First it'll be the previews and ads for upcoming movies we can see, then the room will get a lot darker and the movie will start to play. We'd better set this popcorn on the floor so we have plenty when the movie actually starts." Tony explained to me, gently taking the popcorn from my hand and setting it on the floor.

"I see. What film are we seeing today?" I reply, curiously, looking over at him.

"It's called Les Misérables. It's a musical about a bunch of people in nineteenth century France. So, throughout the movie people will be singing their parts instead of speaking them. It's supposed to wonderful, though."

I nod and settle back into the seat. Tony falls silent for a bit before handing me his chilly glass with a sort of cover and tube running into it.

"You should try this stuff, just to see if you like it." He said with smile.

"How do I drink it?" I asked curiously, taking the glass from Tony's hands.

"Just suck it up from the straw there."

I nod and do as I'm told. The taste is nice, but it feels as if the drink is exploding in my mouth, making my eyes widen a lot. "I'm afraid I'm not too fond of it. It tastes fine, but the fizz is too much." I say, handing it back to Tony

He chuckled and smiled over at me, nodding. "Well, at least you tried it. It's alright, Loks, you can just stick with your water, then." He said, gently taking my hand in his own and kissing my cheek.

I smile at this and sit back in my seat as the lights begin to dim a bit and the screen lights up with moving pictures and ads like Tony said it would. Soon enough, the movie begins with loud music. I'm entranced throughout the entire thing. By the time that the movie's only half done, I have tears welling in my eyes as the woman called Fantine dies dreaming of her dear daughter. Tony held onto my hand throughout the movie, sharing the popcorn with me.

I felt my face smiling gently a bit later during the movie as the two young people fall in love with each other. Then, at the end of the movie, tears are streaming down my cheeks as the last song plays and the credits.

"So, what did you think?" Tony asked me with a soft smile, kissing my cheek again.

"It was lovely, Tony. Thank you for bringing me here." I reply with a smile in return as we stand up and walk with each other out of the room, then out of the building completely.

We walk together down the sidewalk, Tony's hand holding onto my own lovingly. Before we can reach the car, though, something falls out of the sky right in front of us. After a moment, I realize that it's not a something, but someone.

The man stood up slowly, facing us. It took me a single second to recognize him as Thor.

"Brother, what are you doing here? Why have you not returned home yet?" he asked, anger dripping into his voice as he places a hand on my shoulder.

"Thor, hello. I've been rather…busy." I reply, giving Tony's hand a small squeeze and moving closer to him, letting him wrap an arm protectively around my waist.

Thor took the hint and turned to look at Tony. "Who are you, Midgardian who seems to have won my brother's affections?" he asked him, still rather angry as he took my other arm and tried to pull me away protectively.

"Tony Stark. And I'm not your enemy, so let him go." Tony replied smoothly, making Thor's grip on me loosen, but not completely letting me go.

"If you are courting my brother, our father will need to find out. And he'll need to meet you." Thor replied with a sigh.

I can't help but fear for what Odin would do when he learned I'd given my heart to another man, as he and I have never quite seen eye to eye. I know this will either go very well or horribly.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

I had originally thought that Thor would let Tony and I return to the tower to regroup before we departed for Asgard, but apparently not. The thunderer took us both by the arm and immediately teleported us up to the completely different realm. I yanked my arm away from him when I saw Tony swaying dizzily and looking as if he might hurl. I held him close until he collected himself.

We all walked down the Bifrost together, Tony's arm wrapped around my waist and my own arm wrapped around his shoulder. The last time I'd been to this realm, I'd had a mental breakdown and had tried to kill myself. So, I didn't have the fondest memories anymore of the place people seemed to want to make me truly believe was my home.

When we got to the palace, I heard Tony gasp softly at the sight of it. I smile gently at him, kissing his cheek gently.

"This is the place you come from?" he asked, bewildered, his eyes widened.

"Yes, it is. I've lived my entire life here." I reply softly with a nod as we move through the palace, soon meeting my mother in the hallway.

Frigga looked both upset and relived at the same time. There were times when I wondered if it was even possible to feel those things simultaneously, but I figured things were different once you became a parent.

"Loki, what in the Nine were you thinking? Were you even thinking at all?" She asked me, exasperated, before moving to hug me tightly.

While I had my doubts if I could even classify Thor and Odin as my brother and father anymore, I'd always consider Frigga my mother. She was the one person in this realm I would never question or try to hurt.

"I'm sorry, mother." I reply softly, hugging her back gently.

"Well, you're home now, that's all that matters," She resolved with a small smile before looking over at Tony with a warm smile. "Now, are you going to introduce me to the man who's wooed you?"

I felt myself flush slightly before moving away from her to gently take hold of Tony's hand. "Mother, this is Tony Stark. Tony, this is my mother." I said to them both before standing back as Tony moved to shake my mother's hand. I could tell he was nervous, but he hid it extremely well.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Tony said pleasantly with a small smile to her as they shook hands.

"And I'm glad to meet you, Mr. Stark. We shall definitely have to talk more with each other later. I want to know absolutely everything about you and Loki. But, now my husband would like words with the two of you." Frigga said with a grin before turning to smile gently at Odin.

Feel my breath hitch and my heart speed up at the sight of the Allfather. We'd definitely had plenty of instances where we didn't exactly see eye to eye on things. I knew he'd wanted me to start courting for a while, but I wasn't too sure how he'd take the news that I wasn't attracted to women like Thor was.

"Loki, my son, you've returned." He says, moving close to me, emphasizing the word 'son'.

I move closer to Tony and take hold of his hand once again. I knew the Midgardian knew how truly nervous I was when Tony gave my hand a squeeze.

"Loki, You know I want the best for you. Of course I do, you're my youngest son. So, you should know that such a romance such as yours with Tony Stark would be seen as an abomination through the realms. You're the prince of Asgard, you're meant to find a woman, marry her and bear children with her to keep the family line going." Odin continued seriously, looking into my eyes.

"I'm not leaving Tony." I reply stubbornly, keeping myself close to the other man.

"You are going to shame this family with such an abnormal relationship and I will not have that. Now, you will stop being so foolish. Tony Stark will return home after dinner and you will stay here, where you belong." He replied just as stubbornly before turning and walking away, leaving me alone with Tony, Frigga, and Thor. Thor left a few seconds after.

"I'll leave you two to sort things out, honey." Frigga said to me, gently patting my shoulder before leaving as well.

I turn to Tony and finally let the tears I'd been holding back ever since I let go of Odin's staff roll down my cheeks, moving to hug him tightly. He hugged me back just as tightly and lovingly, one hand rubbing my back, the other stroking my hair.

"I don't want you to go, Tony." I said softly as I held Tony close to myself, loving the feeling of his hands rubbing my back and soothing me slowly and lovingly.

"I don't want to go, either. I know we only met a couple days ago, but I really care about you, Loks. I hate seeing you so sad like this," Tony replied, holding me close and kissing my cheek gently. "But, if we're really meant to be together, we'll see each other again. Now, let's go have dinner together and not think about what's coming. Now, it's just you and I in this moment, going to have dinner together. That's it."

I nodded to Tony and gave him a soft smile. He made me feel better, most definitely. I tried to focus on what was happening, rather than what would be happening soon.

We walked together down to the large dining hall. As usual, it was filled with people who were chatting noisily and eating the food that lined the tables. I led Tony to an empty spot at the benches that was big enough for two people to sit side by side.

Dinner was more pleasant than I'd thought it would be. People seemed to welcome me back and welcome Tony into the realm. Many of them were asking him what Midgard was like now and about all the things that were there.

Other people talked to me, probably seeing how I'd been crying and wanting to try and comfort me in my grief. They asked me about the things that had happened and told me how they were glad that I wasn't dead. While Thor was a great warrior and was destined to be king, I was apparently the entertaining prince and people liked how I always kept them on their toes.

Tony and I enjoyed dinner together, but it came to an end all too soon. Once everyone had started clearing the room, Odin came up to Tony and I, his face grave.

"Bid your farewells to Tony Stark, Loki. He needs to go home now." He said to me.

I sighed and nodded before turning back to Tony and gently holding him close to me. He then cupped my cheeks and kissed me deeply and lovingly, right there in front of them.

"Remember what I said, Loks. If we're meant for each other, we'll be together once again. Know that I love you and I'll be waiting for the day when I see you again." Tony said to me honestly, holding me close.

I felt tears roll down my cheeks and held onto Tony tightly. "I love you, too, Tony. I'm going to miss you so much." I replied honestly, kissing him again before I felt Frigga's hand on my shoulder. When I turned to her, I could see that she was trying not to cry as well.

She pulled me back, hugging me tightly as Odin pressed a hand to Tony's forehead and I watched as the first person I'd ever felt true romance for disappear before my eyes.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Hey guys! Well, school's over, so I'll have more time to update here. Just a fair warning, this chapter's kind of dark. Things will get better, I promise. But, there's gonna be some conflict in this chapter and the next couple as well. Thanks for all the support. All of you are amazing!**

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Chapter Seven

My heart had been so broken as I watched Tony disappear from sight. I completely left the area, moving to aimlessly walk down the corridors of the palace. I had no idea where I was going, all I knew for sure was that I had to get out and be by myself. I stopped in an empty hallway and leaned against the wall, sinking down to sit on the floor. I buried my face into my hands and began to sob. It was actually rather rare for something to move me so much that I burst into tears. Though, it had been happening quite a lot lately, it seemed.

Tony was gone, and it seemed as if I'd never see the man who'd managed to capture my heart so thoroughly ever again. I continued to cry to myself, developing a headache. I didn't care, though. It wasn't as if I were already in pain. I only stopped, or at least quieted, when I felt a hand on my shoulder. My heart leaped, part of me hoping I would turn to see Tony standing there, smiling down at me gently. But, when I turned, the only person I saw was Thor.

He moved to kneel down next to me, gently rubbing my shoulder. "Brother, I know you're pained. But this is for the better. You will find a woman to love just as dearly as you loved Tony. Then you'll be married, produce children, and your life will be wonderful. This isn't the Ragnarok."

I said nothing as he spoke, each word striking me in the chest like a whip. I wondered how he would react when I told him I was homosexual rather than bisexual like he seemed to think. Part of me wondered if Thor even understood what homosexuality was at all.

"Leave me be, Thor. Just, please, you're not helping. So leave me to my own misery." I reply softly before standing up and moving to retire to my own chambers, collapsing down on my bed. Here I could cry and cry all I wanted and no one would interrupt me if I didn't want them to.

I spent the next few hours in my chambers. The only way I knew any time had passed was because the sun had changed position in the sky. I kept thinking of the things Thor and others had said to me. They all expected me to fall in love and be happy. But, apparently there were conditions on my happiness. I knew I was distressed and might not be thinking too clearly on things, but I knew I had to get out of Asgard. But, I'd seen Odin go down to the Bifrost site and tell Heimdall something, probably not to let me use the Bifrost.

So, I used the one thing I knew I could still take advantage of: a loophole. The last time I'd wanted out of Asgard, I'd let myself fall off the Bifrost. Sure, when I'd done that, I had been trying to kill myself. And it was purely chance that I'd fallen down to Earth to Tony.

Either way, I had made up my mind. I waited until everyone had gone down to dinner, until all the hallways were deserted. I snuck out of my chambers and eventually out of the palace. By that time, I'd changed into my cotton shirt and pants I'd always used to wear, my cloak drawn tightly around my neck. I walked out to the Bifrost and stopped near the edge of one side, looking over the edge into the nothingness.

"Loki! Loki, stop!" I heard a voice calling faintly to me, turning to find Thor running at me, looking distressed. I felt a pang of sympathy, as the blonde had once been a wonderful older brother to me. Now I was hurting him.

I knew I had to get it over with, or Thor would guilt me into staying and I'd live in misery in a realm where I'd never truly belonged in. So I took a deep breath and stepped off the Bifrost and into the nothingness, falling straight down.

Once again, I hit something hard and the endless falling stopped. When I opened my eyes, I expected to see Midgard again, to see Tony standing over me with a wide grin, with those lips that would kiss all over my face and welcome me back into his arms in an instant.

Instead, I saw a dark, odd looking mass in front of me. I was surrounded by odd, hissing creatures speaking in some sort of guttural, throaty language. One of them took me by the wrist, dragging me up to my feet, even though I was weak from the impact of the fall. They dragged me all the way to a room of sorts, where there was a larger version of them waiting. I figured this one was their leader.

He hissed something to the creatures around me, and they immediately let me go. The leader turned to me, looking me over.

"You're a long way from home, little Jotun." He said to me, amusedly.

"Yes, I know. Who are you?" I replied easily, my arms folded across my chest.

"We are the Chitauri. I am the commander of our forces." He replied to me. "Loki Odinson; born a Jotun, taken under the wing of Odin as a second son. You and him don't see eye to eye. He has torn you away from the one man you may ever truly love. You are weak. For all those reasons, the Tesseract has chosen you." He explained, taking my wrist and leading me to a smaller room that was almost completely empty. That was, save for a small blade that was made of something cosmic blue.

A couple other Chitauri soldiers came in and tore my cloak and shirt from my body forcefully before pushing me up against the wall, holding me there. I suddenly heard a voice fill my head, Tony's voice.

"Loki, Lokes, babe, if you can even hear me, I guess that it means this is actually working. I read somewhere that gods and angels and things like that can hear when someone's praying to them. I want you to know how dearly I love you, honey. This isn't the end, buddy, trust me. If we're really meant for each other, we'll see each other again. Trust me, when we do see each other again, I'm not letting you go again. I love you, Loki. Please, keep yourself safe for me, babe. I love you, and I'll see you again." He said to me lovingly before his voice disappeared from my head. His voice had been the last thing I heard before I cried out in pain when something sharp stabbed me between the shoulder blades.

I felt my eyes grow heavy, my mind filling with thoughts of all the horrible things that had happened to me throughout my life. All my children had been torn from me and treated as monsters. I'd been torn away from the only person I'd ever truly loved. I was raised to believe the Frost Giants were wicked, even when Odin knew I was one of them. I was taught to hate myself.

I felt my mind fill with anger, a large part of it becoming something that didn't quite seem like my own. There was a large voice, telling me to hate, to be angry. My anger would help me in the upcoming battle for the Tesseract. There was a small voice behind that, my own, that was weak and scared and just wanted to be free again.

I couldn't listen to that voice, though. The larger one wouldn't let me. So, I let my eyes turn from emerald green to light blue and let the bigger voice take over my head. The Chitauri dressed me in battle armor and gave me a spear that had a blue glowing orb embedded in it. Then, they gave me my orders and the battle plan. I'd get them the Tesseract, and they'd let me go. If I failed, there'd be consequences. I was to go to all measures to make sure I got the Tesseract. If that meant leveling another town or city and killing innocent humans, so be it.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Again, thanks for the continued support. Just a trigger warning, this chapter might be a bit disturbing due to angst and slight insanity.**

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Chapter Eight

I watched as the Chitauri set everything up for me to be transported to Earth with the power of the Tesseract. Soon enough, there was a large opening. I stepped through obediently and waited until the portal closed to look around at my new surroundings. There were people surrounding me with some odd looking weapons.

"Sir, please put down the spear!" I heard a voice say to me. I looked over at him before pointing it at him and another man and firing. The other man jumped and tackled the first, narrowly missing the shot. With that, all chaos broke lose. People started firing at me, and I fired back.

The fight was over as quickly as it had started. I had heard that large powerful voice in my head and did everything it had told me to. I took control of two men and created them into my soldiers and spies. The voice told me that they'd be very useful. We took the case that held the Tesseract and went off on our own way, the men leading me to a vehicle of sorts so we wouldn't be caught when the remaining energy from the Tesseract made the entire building collapse in on itself.

Only a couple days later I had traveled across a wide ocean to a land called 'Germany'. I decided that the best thing to do would be to blend in. Barton told me that he needed an eyeball scan that would help to let him into the building. So, of course, I would provide. I smiled a bit as I watched the ball going on and easily walked down the stairs, my spear now a sort of walking stick. As I walked, I used the stick to knock another man off his feet like the voice told me to. Again, order turned to chaos and I got Barton the eyeball scan he asked for.

When I walked outside, I let my suit turn to my armor, yelling at the innocent people as the voice had told me to. Then, just as I was about to fire at an elderly man I heard the fire hit onto something and reflect back, knocking me to my backside on the ground. I looked up at the man Barton had told me about. Then, more chaos broke out. And the night was filled with some odd music from the sky. I couldn't make sense of any of it.

A red and gold metal suit flew down from the sky. Tony. The small voice in the back of my head that was still sane recognized the suit. Tony had been wearing it when I landed down on the roof next to him when we first met. The part of me that was still me started to wonder if he'd take me and help me to snap out of the hold the Chitauri and the voice I wasn't too fond of had put me into.

He didn't, though, and held up a hand to me, as it prepared to fire at me if I didn't come quietly. So, I did, letting my armor disappear from my body.

In a few days, I found myself locked away in a large glass cell on board a sort of flying ship. I had grown tired of standing, so I sat down in the middle. People had taken to the habit of simply leaving me alone, and I was completely fine with that. That was, until Tony walked up to the cage, looking angry and heartbroken.

"Loki, what the hell? Thor popped into the tower like a daisy a couple hours after I was sent back and said you'd jumped off the Bifrost again. I thought you'd killed yourself! I went back to drinking heavily and I got really depressed. For a bit, I considered killing myself so I could join you in whatever afterlife you went to. Now you come back and…. you're not you." He said to me, his hands pressed against the glass, his brown eyes large with hurt as he looked at me. "You said you loved me. Do you even care about me at all? Do you even remember me?"

I wanted to say that I did, a little bit, though the larger part of my head didn't. He waited a bit while I was silent, turning around just as my eyes flickered from their current icy blue to their original emerald. He was completely out of earshot when I got myself back for just a bit. "No, please, I remember you. I still love you dearly, Tony. Please listen to me! Help me!" I cried, though he was gone before he could hear me.

The larger voice in my head took over again. "You see, he doesn't care about you anymore. You're nothing to him now." It sneered to me, making me back away from the glass and collapse back into the center of the cell, my hands pressed against my head.

"No, no, he still cares! He's got to! He told me he loved me!" I cried out to the voice that filled my head.

"You pitiful little whelp. First your Daddy does not accept you, now you've lost the only person who'll ever love you. You lay there, crying like a blubbering fool, making even more of a fool of yourself. How could anyone ever love such a thing like you?" it hissed before sending me into a fit on the floor. "Look at you, writhing there like the pathetic little worm you are."

Eventually, one of the agents came by with a syringe in his hand, letting himself into the room.

"Help me! Help me! Get it out!" I cried to him, my hands moving to claw at my head and scratch at it. Then, I felt a sharp sting in my upper arm and calmed down to watch as he stuck the needle into my arm and pumped the liquid into my blood stream. I soon blacked out in the cell, giving the voice the chance to take me over again. It saw the opportunity and took it, taking over my mind and body once again. When I woke up, I knew Barton and the others I'd taken control of were doing what they'd been ordered. They were taking the ship down. I was suddenly released from my cage and I successfully trapped Thor in there instead. The voice told me he deserved it. He'd told me I ought to get over the only person who'd ever love me and find a woman to marry and have kids with. Thor deserved everything he got.

So, I punched the button and sent him hurdling down to the Earth. In only a matter of time, I was back in New York. Selvig helped me set up the portal run by the Tesseract that would open the portal in the sky that would let the Chitauri down to aid me in battle.

They came when they were called and the battle of New York lasted for a couple of hours. I had made it inside the Tower, only to be met by the Hulk. He took me by the legs in such a grip that I thought he'd use to crush my bones. Instead, he chose to thrash me around and slam my body into the ground multiple times, swinging me like a rag doll. He left me there, paralyzed with agony that tore through my entire torso.

When I found I could move again, I started to sit up to get myself out of the crater in the floor my body had made, though I couldn't move much as I found the tip of an arrow in my face. I sighed, and backed off a bit, knowing I'd lost. The voice was still there, but it was weaker.

"If it's all the same to you, I'll have that drink now." I said with a small, hopeful smirk. They lifted me to my feet and clasped a muzzled around my mouth, silencing me completely. They caught my wrists in a pair of handcuffs. I was afraid to even look at Tony, knowing he probably hated me now. I let Thor take me by the waist and transport me to wherever it was we were all meeting up to take the Tesseract back to Asgard never to be seen again.

Thor made me take one end of the capsule the Tesseract was caught in and we were transported back to the realm I'd tried to escape in the first place. I sighed through my nose as Asgard materialized around us. A couple guards took me roughly. "Loki, you are required to see the Allfather now for your sentence." They said to me.

They practically shoved me into the throne room that was filled with people, most of them staring at me with disgust.

"He used to be such a good boy. It's probably because he's Jotun."

"What a petty thing."

"He doesn't belong here."

They whispered all around me as I processed down the center of the room to face my father, looking up at him. He stood and approached me, his hand moving to gently cup my cheek.

"Loki, my son, you have committed a serious crime against humanity. As punishment, I'm limiting your access to your magic. Your hair will be cut and you will be sent back to Midgard to blend in with the humans and make things right for them." He said to me seriously before pressing a hand to my forehead. I felt a lot of my magic being drained away from me other than the things that could be used as beneficial.

Some servants took me roughly and moved to wash my hair and cut it short so that it turned out as a curly mass of raven hair on top of my head. They took off the muzzle and handcuffs, but sedated me and stitched my lips together. While I was out, they changed me into Midgardian clothes and wrapped a scarf around my mouth so no one would see.

When I woke up, I was on a park bench. It was nighttime and I still had that pesky blade between my shoulder blades. I sighed and reached behind myself and pulled the blade out, letting it fall to the ground. The voice disappeared and I fell asleep again.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

When I woke up again, it was bright out, so I just kept my eyelids closed. The park bench hadn't made much of a bed, but it had been better than nothing. I could hear voices speaking to each other from somewhere nearby. It sounded to me like a little girl speaking to her mother.

"Mommy, is he a hobo?"

"I don't know, honey. He's dressed too nicely to be homeless."

"Is he lost then?"

"I guess so, yeah."

"Why does he have that scarf over his mouth?"

"Maybe he's got the flu and couldn't find a mask."

When I finally opened my eyes, I found that I'd been right. Standing before me was a small toddler girl and her mother. The child looked curious and the mother seemed worried. Though, I wasn't sure if the woman was worried about my wellbeing or the safety of her child. Perhaps it was even a combination of the two ideas.

"Sir, are you lost? Do you need help getting somewhere?" The woman asked me curiously. In response I put a hand to my lips and throat where my vocal cords would be, miming to her that I couldn't speak.

"Mommy, the Sea Witch took his voice like Ariel! We need to get a prince to kiss him right now!" The little girl said to her mother, tugging at the woman's shirt before taking my hand in her smaller one and pulling at it. I obediently stood up, watching the little girl. She tugged me along gently and walked up to the pathway where many men and women were out walking or jogging. She'd stop every man that came close, explaining how I'd lost my voice and need to kiss a prince to get it back.

After about five minutes of that, her mother came up to us, patting her shoulder gently.

"Honey, I'm sorry, but we've got to go home now. You have to get ready for ballet." She said to the little girl. The child looked up at me and smiled gently before hugging my legs happily.

"I hope you find your prince mister. I hope you get your voice back." She said to me with a smile before walking off. Her mother gave me a look that silently thanked me for letting her believe I'd had my voice stolen.

I sighed as I watched them leave before starting to walk aimlessly about the large park. I found that it was a rather nice place, rather liking how it was so green and lovely. It was nice to have something in a large city of concrete and glass like this one. My stomach growled and I sighed, knowing I wouldn't be able to eat anything and settle my hunger. I'd have to prove myself worthy to Odin as his son before the threads loosened and eventually came off my mouth.

I continued to walk aimlessly about the park and city, eventually finding myself outside the Stark Tower. The upper part of it was absolutely destroyed. I had done that. I felt a pang of guilt and wondered if I ought to just walk away and seek lodgings elsewhere. But, I figured there was no harm in trying. So, I walked up to the front door of the tower and rang the buzzer.

"Consulting hours are from one to four on Tuesdays and Thursdays, sir. Or are you here on other business." I heard the voice of JARVIS say to me. I nodded to the latter. A blue beam came out of the wall and scanned my entire body. "Mr. Odinson, nice to see you again. I must say you look rather different. I'll alert Mr. Stark that you're here. Just wait there." The voice said to me kindly before disappearing.

So, I obediently waited there, rocking back and forth on my feet. I wondered if Tony would even want to see me at all. Perhaps he would just turn me away with one look at me. I waited for a few minutes before I heard the ding of the elevator.

"You come here to finish what you started? Wanna throw me out a window again?" Tony asked sarcastically, walking up to me and gripping my jaw tightly to examine my face. "Your eyes were blue last I saw you. Now they're green again." He said with a sigh, releasing my jaw. "Why'd you come here, Loki?"

I gently tapped where my lips would have been behind the scarf, miming to him in response, but he just cocked an eyebrow.

"What, you have laryngitis?" He asked confusedly.

I sighed through my nose and pulled down my scarf to show him the threads that bound my lips together.

"Holy shit! What the hell did they do to you, Lokes?" he said in shock at the sight of the threads and the blood, gently cupping my cheeks. "I mean, what you did was pretty bad, but that's pure torture. Come on, you can explain to me why I suddenly trust through pen and paper." He said, taking my hand and leading me into the elevator with him. "Please, for the love of all things holy, tell me you at least got a fair trial."

I merely shook my head and followed as we walked out of the elevator into the penthouse that still had all the damage from the battle. Tony left me for a minute to go get a notepad and a pen. So, while he was gone, I pressed a hand to the wall and used my magic to repair the room to perfection, as I hadn't liked the thought that I'd ruined Tony's home. When he came back, he stopped and stared at the newly perfected room.

"What the hell did you do while I was gone?" he asked curiously.

In response, I let my hands glow green with the healing magic.

"You rebuilt the tower within two minutes with your magic?" He asked, his mind obviously working out a plan of some sort.

I nod and let my eyes smile at him.

"Would you be up to helping to rebuild the city tomorrow? I was going to go out anyway, but you could be really useful. " He asked with a grin. I nodded again, wondering if Odin would decide I was worthy again after helping to rebuild most of the city I'd helped to ruin. Tony smiled and moved to hug me tightly before handing me the notepad and pen.

"Cool. Now, I want you to tell me everything that happened since I was sent away from Asgard. Just write it all down. I don't care if you write a book about it all, I just want to know." He said with a grin, siting me down on the couch to write.

I wrote down everything that had happened since Asgard in perfect chronological order, describing how I'd felt so helpless and like I didn't quite belong so I jumped off the Bifrost. I wrote about the Chitauri and how they'd used the blade to take control of me. I told Tony about the voice that kept me doing what it wanted me to. The voice had made me do everything I did. I wrote about how I wondered if the Tesseract had been the voice all along. Then, I wrote about my sentence Odin had given me. When I'd finally finished, I handed the pad over to Tony. He read it all, word or word, never skipping over a single detail that I'd written, truly wanting to know what I'd been through. I watched, as Tony seemed to have tears welling up in his eyes. He moved to hug me tightly, and I hugged him back happily.

"You know what I said when you were in that cage? I'm sorry; I was just kinda mad and confused. I love you, Lokes. I never stopped loving you. I want to help you if you need healing or something." He said softly to me, keeping me pressed close to me, his head resting on my shoulder. I gently ran my fingers through his hair.

I was trying not to dwell on the bad things that had happened in the past. I just wanted to move on and make things right once again on this realm and to fix everything I'd done. If that meant going to each ruined building and using magic to fix them, then I'd do it.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

Tony and I spent the rest of the day talking to each other awkwardly. He would speak to me and I would respond by writing something down on the notepad and passing it over to him. We talked like that until the sun began to set and we'd both noticed that we had both grown quite hungry. Before eating, he led me down to the small medical room of the tower, taking out a syringe and filling it with a substance of some sort.

"Sorry, I know this probably won't help at all with the hunger, but it'll keep you alive. I'm just going to inject you with the nutrients you'd get from an ideal meal, alright?" he asked before cleaning the area he'd inject the nutrients into with a rubbing alcohol swab.

I nodded to him and tried not to watch as he stuck the needle into my arm and injected the nutrients into my body. When he was done, he pulled the syringe out and placed some kind of adhesive bandage over the small wound. He then helped me down from the exam table and we walked together to go return to the penthouse area of the tower.

When he got his food, I could tell that he felt awkward eating it in front of me. So, I moved to sit down on a sofa and let him eat his food alone, so he could eat without any uneasiness. I couldn't help but wonder how the next day would turn out. With any luck, the threads around my mouth would loosen at least a bit. Perhaps I'd even be able to speak, though it'd probably end up being just whispers. I wondered if eventually the threads would loosen just enough for me to drink.

When Tony had finished with his meal, he moved to sit down on the sofa with me, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and holding me close. He moved to grab the remote and turned on the large black box he called a 'TV'. Together, we watched the news, just spending the time in each other's arms. Eventually, I grew tired and rested my head against Tony's shoulder, falling asleep there against him.

He must have picked me up somewhere in the night, because when I woke up, I was in his bed, wearing clothes that were a bit too big for me. I could tell that he'd slept there with me, as there was a large warm spot in the area next to me and some of the blankets had been pushed down. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and moved out of the bed, finding myself in an oversized t-shirt and baggy fleece sweatpants that had the words 'Iron Man' printed all over them. I laughed as much as I could and padded out of the room to meet Tony in the kitchen.

He looked up at me and smiled gently. "Morning, sunshine." He said with a grin as he walked over to me and gently played with my rumpled hair that stuck out it practically every direction. "You know, you look kind of cute with short, curly hair."

I merely smiled as much as I could to him and nodded. He moved to sit me down, giving me another injection of nutrients and kissing my cheek lightly.

"We've got a big day today, Lokes. You ready to show your dad how awesome you really are?" he asked me with a wide grin. I nodded eagerly in response. He chuckled and kissed me again.

"Awesome. Let's go get dressed." He said to me, leading me back to the bedroom. He lent me some clothes that would be comfortable and suitable work in. I put on the scarf I'd arrived in, wrapping it around my mouth so nobody would see it. He and I both knew that people wouldn't be keeping quiet as we worked, though we couldn't guess how many people would stop to talk to us.

After about half an hour, we were both ready and we headed out together to start working on the reconstruction of New York City. We started at a nearby building. Tony had put on the Iron Man suit, and took me by the waist, flying with me up to the building. We decided that I would take the interior and he would take the exterior. So, we began to work together; I used my magic, he used his suit. By around noon, we'd finished about a dozen buildings together and the press was swarming in.

One of the reporter women caught me by the arm, turning me around to see the large camera that was quite close to my person.

"Sir, I'm Lisa DeSetter from CBS New York. I see you're here with Iron Man and you two have been rebuilding the city after the world-renowned battle. I'd just like to know a bit more about you and how you know Tony Stark." She explained to me, holding the microphone to my face. I felt myself flush a bit as I mimed to her that I couldn't speak.

"Oh, I see. I'm sorry. But, do you mind at all if we get some pictures?" I decided to let her, as I didn't see any issue with that. So, the woman let me go back to work, some of her cameramen taking pictures as Tony and I worked, every so often talking to each other. He would tell me something and I would nod before heading off to the next building.

After a bit more, we both took a break. Tony found a hot dog stand. I found myself chuckling behind my restrained lips when the man working there saw Iron Man land in front of him and buy a hot dog. Tony smiled and walked over to me, eating his hot dog happily as he wrapped an armored arm around me.

"You know, when I'm in this suit, I'm actually taller than you. It's kind cool having to look down to see your eyes." He said with a chuckle, kissing the top of my head. "So, how're those threads coming, love?"

He moved to pull down my scarf to check the threads. "They look like they're getting looser. Can you open your mouth?" He asked. I experimented with it a bit, parting my lips slightly.

"A little." I whispered back to Tony, as that was how far my ability to speak went. He smiled and gently kissed my cheek.

"Hey, it's progress. Maybe by the end of the day, they'll be completely gone." Tony said optimistically, giving my shoulders a small squeeze as he held me close. I moved to stand on my toes and press a small, awkward kiss to his lips. He pulled away and chuckled a bit, kissing my cheeks.

"I'm sorry, I love you, but that just feels kind of weird. Let's save those kisses until when your threads are off. I promise, though, when that happens, we'll kiss as much as you want. If you want to stay up all night and just kiss, we totally can." Tony said with a small smile and a chuckle to me.

With that, he finished his hotdog and took me by the waist, dropping me off at the next building. We continued to work on the buildings that I'd helped to ruin until well into the night, when we finally decided it was time to stop for that day. When we returned home, we went straight to bed, getting up early again for another day of the same thing. We found that I could drink perfectly well, so Tony would make me things called 'fruit smoothies' with various fruits in them, along with a bit of green tea powder for energy and to help me focus. We then headed out again, finishing the ruined Manhattan by sundown. By the time we returned home, my threads were gone. So, as promised, we went back to the tower and kissed on the couch lovingly until we both grew so tired that we just fell asleep there in each other's arms.


	11. Epilogue

Epilogue

About a year passed after that and Tony and I were still going strong. It was December and just about Yuletide season when things really picked up again. Before then, we'd just been living our lives together as most normal Midgardians did. After about six months, Tony decided he never wanted to leave me, so I snuck into Asgard and stole a single golden apple to give to him. He ate it happily and hadn't aged a day since then.

We were preparing for the Yuletide when it happened. I'd gotten a large evergreen tree and had put it up in the main living area while Tony made us both hot chocolate. The rest of the Avengers were there, including Thor, chatting merrily and helping Tony and I to decorate the home.

"Looks awesome, Lokes." Tony said to me, handing me a mug of hot chocolate and kissing my cheek from behind.

"Thank you, Tony." I replied as he wrapped his arms around my torso from behind, resting his chin on my shoulder, admiring the tree with me.

"Hey, Lokes, can I ask you something?" he asked curiously as we just stood there.

"You can ask me anything, Tony." I replied, wondering why the other Avengers had suddenly turned to face us, as if spontaneously deciding to pay attention to Tony and I.

He moved to face me and gently kissed my nose before setting aside our mugs of hot chocolate, confusing me even further.

"Close your eyes, Lokes." He said with a smirk, and I did so obediently. I opened them when he told me to, looking down to find him kneeling before me on one knee, a small ring box in his hand that held a ring with an emerald on a band of intertwined gold and silver. My eyes widened as I slowly registered what was going on.

"Loki Odinson, I love you. I think I've loved you since the day you literally dropped into my world. I honestly can't imagine a world without you anymore and I don't really think I want to. Loki, will you marry me?" He said with a smile, looking up at me.

I hadn't noticed that I'd started crying from joy, my hands over my mouth in shock. I nodded, grinning. "Yes. Yes, I'll marry you, Tony." I replied before moving down to hug him tightly, holding him tightly against me to make sure he was real and wouldn't disappear from my arms. He grinned up at me and kissed my cheeks before taking the ring out of the box and slipping it onto my finger.

We hugged each other tightly as the rest of the team started to clap happily, even Clint, who'd once said that the way Tony and I acted around each other was so sickeningly sweet that it made him want to vomit rainbows.

We spent the rest of the evening happily together as it even began to snow outside. We all drank our hot chocolate happily, keeping close to each other through the day, staying awake until late into the night, laughing happily and just telling stories about each other. Tony and I went to bed together that night, sleeping peacefully. I honestly didn't care what happened on Christmas, as I already had everything I'd ever need to stay happy forever.

* * *

**A/N: And there you have it. The End! Thanks for all the support throughout this story, it's been awesome. Every one of you are amazing. I might right a oneshot to go with this about Tony and Loki's wedding. If you think that'd be cool, just say so in a review or message. Otherwise, this won't be the last thing you hear from me. Again, thanks for the ride, it's been great!**

**~TheCrimsonLlama**


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